Method and apparatus for prototyping a three-dimensional object
AssigneeZ Corporation
InventorsDavid B. Russell, Timothy Anderson, James F. Bredt, Michael J. Vogel, Walter J. Bornhorst
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printer forms three-dimensional objects from a powder by selectively applying a binder liquid to incremental layers of the powder. The binder binds layers of the powder into solid two-dimensional cross sections of the desired object provided from memory. The printer can use dithering and halftoning techniques to shade the object and can also print in color. A filtration system removes airborne powder and recirculates the clean air. The printer also includes additional features to manage excess and airborne powder.
Claims51
A system for fabricating a three-dimensional object from a representation of the object stored in a memory, the system comprising:
- in a work area, a deck having a length along a longitudinal axis and a width along a transverse axis, the deck having a feed aperture, a build aperture and an overflow aperture therethrough it along the longitudinal axis, the overflow aperture having a width greater than the widths of the feed aperture and the build aperture;
- a build chamber coupled to the build aperture and a movable build piston bounded by an interior wall;
- a feed chamber coupled to the feed aperture and a movable feed piston bounded by an interior wall;
- an overflow chamber coupled to the overflow aperture;
- a movable gantry suspended over the deck;
- a plurality of cleanable binder jets movably coupled to the gantry;
- in a clean area a controller in communication with the build piston, the feed piston, the gantry and the binder jets, the controller executing instructions for:
- filling the binder jets with a pressure-controlled binder liquid colorable with dyes;
- transferring build material from the feed chamber to the build chamber as incremental layers of build material;
- variably depositing volumes of the colorable binder liquid at selected positions on each layer of build material, the binder liquid binding regions of the build material together based on cross-sectional representations of the object stored in the memory, the binder jets being offset relative to adjacent layers of build material;
- moving a first quantity of waste build material along the deck and into the overflow cavity;
- at least a partial seal separating the clean area from the work area;
- and
- a mechanism to improve the quality of the fabricated object.
An apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional object from a representation of the object stored in memory, the apparatus comprising:
- a feed reservoir having stored therein a supply of build material for forming the object;
- a build table for receiving incremental layers of the build material from the feed reservoir;
- an overflow cavity for receiving an excess quantity of build material transferred from the feed reservoir but not received by the build table;
- and
- a cleaning element movable across the build table to transfer a quantity of build material from the build table to the overflow cavity.
An apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional object from a representation of the object stored in memory, the apparatus comprising:
- a layering apparatus for forming a layer of powder material;
- a supply of binder liquid which reacts with the powder material to form a solid structure;
- a supply of dyes combinable to create a plurality of perceived colors;
- a printing apparatus to deposit the binder liquid and the dyes at selected positions on the layer of powder material, the binder liquid binding regions of the powder material together to form cross-sections of the object;
- and
- a mechanism for operating the printing apparatus with a pressure-controlled binder liquid.
A method for fabricating a three-dimensional object from a representation of the object stored in memory, comprising:
- providing a feed reservoir;
- storing a supply of build material for forming the object in the feed reservoir;
- on a build table, receiving incremental layers of the build material from the feed reservoir;
- and
- at an overflow cavity, receiving an excess quantity of build material transferred from the feed reservoir but not received by the build table.
A method for fabricating a three-dimensional object from a representation of the object stored in memory, comprising:
- in a work area, housing a fabrication assembly for fabricating the object from a build material, the work area having airborne build material therein;
- in a clean area, housing equipment coupled to the fabrication assembly and damageable by the airborne build material;
- separating the work area from the clean area with at least a partial seal, there being a mechanical coupling through the seal.
A method for fabricating a three-dimensional object from a representation of the object stored in memory, comprising:
- forming a layer of powder material;
- supplying binder liquid which reacts with the powder material to form a solid structure;
- supplying dyes combinable to create a plurality of perceived colors;
- and
- depositing the binder liquid and the dyes at selected positions on the layer of powder material, the binder liquid binding regions of the powder material together to form cross-sections of the object.
A method of operating binder jets, including a faulty jet, to fabricate a three-dimensional object from a representation of the object stored in memory, the faulty jet creating an undesired fault line when operated comprising:
- applying a binder to a first layer of build material to create a first two-dimensional cross-section of the object in the first layer;
- offsetting the binder jets;
- and
- applying binder to a second layer of build material to create a second two-dimensional cross-section of the object in the second layer.
A method of fabricating a three-dimensional object from a representation of the object stored in memory, comprising the steps of:
- forming a layer of build material;
- supplying binder which reacts with the build material to form a solid structure;
- and
- applying varying volumes of the binder to selected positions in the layer of build material to form a two-dimensional cross-section of the object.
A method of fabricating a three-dimensional object, comprising:
- forming the object in a three-dimensional printer;
- and
- infiltrating the object with a material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.